Electric-current collector.



T. B. G. JANSSEN. ELECTRIC CURRENT COLLECTOR. APPLICATION FILED MAR.27.1914.

\ Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

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THEODOR IBERNHARID GEORG JANSSEN, OI?- MIU'NSTEE, GERMANY.

ELECTRIC CURRENT GOLEECTOR Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

Application filed March 27, 1914. Serial No. 827,736.

To (ZZZ whom it mag concern Be it known that I, THnonoR BERNHARD Gnone JANSSEN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at 54 Gallit'zinstrasse, Miinster, Westphalia, in the German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Current Collectors, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to electric current collectors for use in connection with the electric lighting of bicycle and motor car lamps of the kind in which the necessary current is generated during running.

The invention resides broadly in the fact that the brush or collector is devised for automatic adjustment. With this object the conducting wire connected with the brush is resilient, and bears against a suitable support for the purpose of maintaining the pressure upon the brush.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 shows the device in vertical section, Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof, Fig. Fig. 3 is a section on the line A-A of Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 4 is a detail from Fig. 3 to a larger scale, Fig. 5 is a partial side elevation corresponding to Fig. 2.

The generator consists of the suitably constructed magnet with the armature l rotating therein with slight clearance. The shaft 2 of this armature passes through a bore 4 in the yoke of the magnet 55, with the interposition of a ball bearing and carries a friction disk 6 engaging against a circular rotating part of the vehicle. Vhen the device is fitted to a bicycle, for example this rotating part may advantageously consist of an india rubber ring whose diameter is adjustable by means of clamping plates somewhat after the manner adopted in connection with bottle stoppering devices.

The rotary movements transmitted during running by the rotating part of the vehicle to the friction disk 6 and thereby to the shaft 2 is utilized in lmown manner, which forms no part of the present invention by means of the armature l for producing current for the supply of current to electric lamps.

One end of the armature winding is in electrical connection with the lamp holder 7, and the reflector adapted to be fitted thereto, and which in the known manner is electrically connectedwith one of the two poles of the incandescent bulb, while from the second pole of the bulb, which is insulated from the reflector, a wire cable 10 provided with an insulating covering 9 leads to the brush 11. In the example illustrated the brush consists of a tubular metal casing or socket 11 open at its outer end, the conductor 10 resting against the reinforced or thick bottom of this casing which serves for taking the current. The wire 10 is arranged so as to be resilient inside the casing 11, so

that, in the example illustrated in Fig. 3, the brush 11 rests with its base yieldingly against the insulated ring 12. W'ith this object the wire 10 is spirally coiled in the casing 11 outside of which it bears against a suitable fixed part or shoulder 13.

The base of the casing which serves to take the current is displaceable rectilinearly in an appropriate bore in a guide bush 15 of ebonite or the like adapted to be inserted in an opening in the wall or cover it of the apparatus. The guide bush 15 at the bottom of the bore for the casing 11 is provided with a shoulder 13 which constitutes a bearing for the spiral spring 10,- constituted by the conductor, for automatically adjusting the brush. In the insulated metal ring 12, against which thebrush 11 is pressed by the spring action of the wire 10, the second end of the armature winding 16 terminates, so that the circuit is thereby closed. In the case of continuous current .machines a commutator is substituted for the contact ring 12, and it is necessary to provide an even number of brushes. The

bush 15 may be provided With an extension for the reception of the india rubber insulating tube 9 of the conductor 10. I

As the armature l rotates on a step bearing 17 below and in a ball bearing 3 above, the armature may assume a slight obhquity I in manufacture, because the opening 4 for the shaft 2 must be bored in the magnet 5 before it is hardened, and it is found that it frequently becomes non-circular and distorted in the hardening operation. This obliquity of the axis of the armature, which cannot be easily remedied subsequently, diifers in every apparatus, according to the degree of distortion of the hole 4:, even if the magnets are manufactured with the greatest care. As friction is reduced by the upper ball bearing 3, this obliquity of the armature presents no inconvenience, but nevertheless, according to the direction of the obliquity of the axis, the commutators or contact ring 12 on the armature shaft will act eccentrically with regard to the brush. In practice it istherefore essential to provide for exact adjustment of the brush 11. To insure uniform running of the apparatus and to avoid loss of power resulting from unnecessary friction, the springs 10, which are produced mechanically, must all be of the same strength and theirtension must be exactly adapted to the interval between the contact or commutator rings 12 and the brushes and this result can be attained by forcing or screwing the bushes 15 into the wall of the casing to a greater or less depth. This adjustment is rendered possible because the insulating and guide bush 15 serves internally as a bearing for the spring 10, while it is accessible from th exterior without difficulty, as it is inserte into the cover 14 from the exterior. For the purpose of replacing the brush 11 it is only necessary to remove the bush 15.

The arrangement described also presents other important advantages. When the bush 15 is removed it can be used directly for interposing a dry battery or an accumulator when the device is fitted for instance to a bicycle. In the case of a bicycle it is only necessary for this purpose to con nect one pole of such a battery permanently with the casing of the apparatus and, in case of need, for example when the bicycle is not running, to connect the bush 15 with the other pole of the source of current, in order to supply it from the latter. Owing to the fact that, as already stated the inter val between the commutator or the collector,

ring 12'and the brush varies it may happen that the reinforced base of the metal casing 11 which collects the current must protrude considerably from the bush 15 in order to make contact with the ring 12,'whereby its guidance in the bush is affected. Accordingly it is advantageous to guide the brush 11 in such a manner that even when it has to pro ect conslderably from its guide bush 15 m order to reach the ring 12, it is still of thecurrent is avoided; If this result were attained by giving the brush 11 the form of a long solid cylinder, which would be the most obvious method to adopt, but little space would be afforded in the bush for fitting a spiral spring of sufficient length to correspond with the considerable difierence of length resulting from the varying amount of protrusion due to the obliquity of the axis, or else it would be necessary to give the bush 15 a sufiicient length for the reception of the spring 10. As, however, the length of the bush inside the casing is determined by the minimum interval between the wall 14 and the collector ring 12, it would be necessary to arrange the greater length of the bush outside the casing, where, as the bush consists of brittle material, it would be particularly liable to fracture, owing to its length. In order, therefore, to avoid having any considerable length of bush outside the casing while nevertheless obtaining the conditions of guidance set forth above, it has been found desirable to adopt the following arrangement: The brush 11 is not constructed as a solid cylinder but as a hollow cylinder and only its lower thick solid end serves for collecting the current. The spring 10 extends into the cylinder 11 so that a suflicient length is provided for its reception without lengthening the bush 15 in a manner dangerous in operation. The arrangement of the hollow cylinder, into which the spring serving to adjust it extends, renders it possible to utilize the length required for guiding the casing 11 in the bush 15 for the arrangement of the spiral spring. If the reinforced current collecting end of the cylinder 11 is pressed a long way out of the guide 15 in order to reach the ring 12, the cylinder 11 large a surface of the bush that the pressure is insuflicient to break it.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A current collector for use in connection 10 ing against the bottom of the bore of the tubular brush and the other end of the coil bearing against the bottom of the bore of the bush socket, substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THEODOR BERNHARD GEORG JANSSEN.

Witnesses WILHELM S'rnEss, FREDERICK HOYERMANN. 

